In the latest New Zealand
Journal of Employment Relations the following topics are covered. If
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Managers’
Attitudes to Teleworking
GLENDA SCHOLEFIELD* and SIMON PEEL**
Abstract
This paper investigates
managers’ attitudes to and perceptions of
teleworking. Despite many predictions that teleworking would become a
significant mode of work, evidence suggests that the uptake of
teleworking has been much less than might otherwise be anticipated. It
is suggested that managerial resistance may play a part in this. This
study surveyed 123 managers in marketing firms in New Zealand and
followed this up with eight in depth interviews. It is clear that while
managers overwhelmingly report positive attitudes towards the concept
of teleworking they have significant concerns which affect their actual
usage.
This paper contributes to our understanding of these contradictory
attitudes on the part of managers and suggests further avenues for
research.
* Glenda Scholefield is post-graduate student at Unitec and Product
Manager at ASB Bank.
** Simon Peel is the Dean of Research at the Unitec Institute of
Technology. speel@unitec.ac.nz
Employee Well-Being and
Union Membership
KEITH MACKY* and PETER BOXALL**
Abstract
Using a random telephone survey
of 645 New Zealand employees in unionised workplaces, we compare union
members with non-members on four dimensions of employee well-being:
felt work intensification in terms of work demands on time and role
overload, job-induced stress, work-life imbalance, and job
satisfaction. We find no differences between unionists and
non-unionists in respect of overall job satisfaction, although two
facet-level aspects of satisfaction do predict union membership
– promotion opportunities and recognition levels. Union
members also report higher levels of work overload and pressure,
greater stress, and greater work-life imbalance compared to non-union
members. These findings are discussed in relation to theories of union
belonging.
* Keith Macky is Associate
Professor in the Department of Management at Auckland University of
Technology (AUT). Private Bag 102 904, Auckland, NEW ZEALAND. +64 9 921
9999 x 5035. keith.macky@aut.ac.nz
** Professor Peter Boxall. Department of Management &
International Business, University of Auckland. Private Bag 92019,
Auckland, NEW ZEALAND. +64 9 3737999 x 87355. p.boxall@auckland.ac.nz
Please address correspondence to first author
Employee
Opinion on Work-Family Benefits: Evidence from the U.S.
DONNA M. ANDERSON*, KATHRYN
BIRKELAND** and LISA GIDDINGS***
Abstract
We examine employee views on
employer assistance for employees’ work-family issues and the
effect on two measures of employee global attitude towards the
employer: job satisfaction and employee attitude. We use data from the
2002 National Study of the Changing Workforce, a nationally
representative sample of 2,451 waged and salaried U.S. workers and a
hierarchical multiple regression analysis to test for mediating effects
of supervisor support and workplace culture. A negative view of an
employer’s efforts to assist employees with work-family
issues results in lower levels of job satisfaction and worsens employee
attitude. Supervisor and coworker support moderated the negative effect
of employee opinion of a company’s work-life involvement on
employee attitude, although the support had no effect on mediating the
effect of the negative opinion on job satisfaction.
* Donna M. Anderson, Ph.D.,
Professor of Economics (contact author: anderson.donn@uwlax.edu
(608)785-6864)
** Kathryn Birkeland, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Economics; Lisa
Giddings, Ph.D
*** Associate Professor of Economics. University of Wisconsin-La
Crosse, La Crosse, Wisconsin, 54601, USA.
Grievance Processes:
Research, Rhetoric and Directions for New Zealand
BERNARD WALKER* and R.T.
HAMILTON**
Abstract
Individual-level conflict is a
central aspect of contemporary employment relations. The literature is
somewhat fragmented, focusing on certain aspects of grievances and
dominated by North American writing. The implications for New Zealand
are explored and compared with local research which has been driven
largely by policy and operational needs. At a time when political
debate over grievance laws is once again intensifying, three main areas
emerge as priorities for future New Zealand research: a focus on the
decision-making processes of employers and employees; what happens in
the early stages of within-company resolution; and the merits of
alternative dispute resolution procedures.
* Dr B. Walker, Lecturer, Department of Management, University of
Canterbury
** Professor R.T. Hamilton, Department of Management, University of
Canterbury
Secondary
Boycotts and Ally Doctrine in the U.S. Law of Strikes
JACOPO BUSNACH RAVENNA*
Abstract
The paper aims to schematically
illustrate the legal genesis of the concept of secondary boycott in
U.S. statutory law and its application in the relevant case law. For
this purpose, a brief overview of the historical origin of the right to
strike is provided, along with the analysis of the evolutionary process
which led to its inclusion in the Constitutional Charts of many
European countries. This introduction is followed by a description of
the legislative steps towards the enactment of the Wagner Act (1935),
as amended by the Taft-Hartley Act (1947), and of the Landrum-Griffin
Act (1959), especially focusing on the
different sanctions which may spring from group
ostracism against neutral employers. The distinctiveness of the
so-called “ally doctrine” as regards the labour
unions’ liability for instigating secondary boycotts is
further portrayed, as an exception to the guarantee of free speech
contained in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
* LLB, Bocconi University (2007); Visiting Student, University of
Richmond School of Law (2008); JD, Bocconi University (2009); Associate
at Gianni, Origoni, Grippo & Partners – M&A
Department (2009 - now).
The
2010 review of the New Zealand personal grievance system: Commentary
BERNARD WALKER and R.T.
HAMILTON*
Abstract
Following its election
in 2008, the National-led government has moved to amend grievance laws.
The arguments for and
against such changes are well-rehearsed in terms of the values
involved. What is missing,
however, are empirical studies to substantiate or refute the claims
made by either side. The present
article outlines the nature of the research needed, highlighting the
role of researchers, as well as
the need for employers, unions and practitioners to collaborate in establishing a field of
knowledge.
* Both authors, Department of Management, University of Canterbury